Delhi's
answer to Fashion Street
 One
of the best places to shop is Janpath at Connought
Place. With its central location and ample parking
space, it's a haven for shoppers. New shopping centres
have cropped up. To accommodate the refugee vendors a
new shopping area, Janpath, was developed. Soon Janpath
became a fashionable place for shopping. In the absence
of any other good place of recreation, it also became
a place where every young man and young girl wanted to
be seen.
Till the establishment of Janpath, it was the Bombay
film industry that was responsible for ushering in
new fashions, especially in ladies' wear. Within a very
short time it overtook Bombay in setting trends in ladies'
dresses. By the mid. 50s Bollywood fashion designers began
visiting Janpath on the lookout for new designs in clothing
for their heroines.
Meenakshi, a computer engineer says, "Whenever I am
in a mood to shop but don't have the money, Janpath is
the answer to my needs. Not only do you get stuff at low
prices, but also a whole lot of variety and quality."
Variety is at its best out here. Many foreigners shop
in search of exotic artefacts and perfumes. In fact it
is sometimes referred to as Delhi's answer to Mumbai's
fashion street, thanks to the amount of export surplus
sold here.
 A
T-shirt at any shop in Janpath can cost between Rs 20
and Rs 300. Another attraction is the multitude of junk
jewellery one can find here. "I love buying oxidized
jewellery," exclaims Rakhi, a first year student,
"and there is no better place than Janpath to serve
this purpose as there is a wide variety available. And
the best part about this place is the scope of bargaining.
You get bangles, rings, baju bandhs, anything and everything."
Shoppers can also pick up artistic bags, jootis, arty
kurtas, wall and door hangings, cushion covers, gifts
for friends, souvenirs for friends and more, all
at reasonable prices.
For food lovers, this place is a must visit, be it delicious
cheese sandwiches and cold coffee at De' Pauls,
the pastries at Sugar and Spice or even the burgers
at Adarsh stores. For the big-time eaters, another
viable option is the famous Sona Rupa across the
road and Wimpy's.
Then there are shops, which cater to the upwardly mobile,
be it Roop General Stores for cosmetics, Lakshmi
book store, Kalaniketan for the trendiest shoes
and Bon Ton for fashionable sunglasses. One must
also mention Bookland and Pratap. There
is a perfume shop selling exotic perfumes with flavours
ranging from rose to jasmine to sandalwood. Its USP: these
perfumes are made from natural extracts and herbs.
Many youngsters and adults drop in at Janpath for the
knick-knacks, which are highly affordable. These are stocked
by the small vendors who sell anything from clips,
bags, ruffles, and sunglasses to ceramics,
pictures etc.
You can also find a variety of items for home needs like
paintings, ceramics, crockery, bags, and sunglasses.
There is also the Tibetan market near Imperial
Hotel at Janpath, which stocks exotic artefacts,
jewellery and accessories. But a must visit
are the Gujrati vendors selling unique mirror work
garments. Be it cholis to gutthis, bags made of south
silk saris to beaded purses and cushion covers. A large
variety and beautiful colour combinations can be found
in this market. There is no problem of commuting, as this
place is centrally located. So if you are looking for
variety at reasonable prices Janpath is the answer to
your needs.
- Jyoti Narang |
5:04:03 AM 
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